Rumor | Huawei has plans for more foldable smartphones to launch in 2022

A company called Zhaoli Technology has reportedly told the Chinese media that it has taken a major new order for smartphone hinges, implying that an OEM has a new foldable device in the works. The manufacturer in question is now thought to be Huawei, one of the few smartphone-makers with a few generations of these top-end devices under its belt.

Therefore, this new leak might lend more weight to earlier rumors of a Mate X3 that might launch some time in the first quarter of 2022. Little is known about this putative device right now, although it might be expected to follow the inward-folding trend set by Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold3, not to mention its own X2 predecessor.

Nevertheless, it might be surprising to hear that Huawei allegedly intends to persist in the often hyper-premium foldable space, having had experienced one of its sharpest declines in the smartphone market (even in China) in 2021.

Then again, with the latest estimates putting Samsung's share of shipments coming from foldables rising to 20% in 2022, not to mention the increasing success of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip lines (particularly as their prices gradually fall), Huawei might prefer to hold on to its existing foothold in the same sector in order to remain competitive in the long term.

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